Standard Allergy Tests Can Misdiagnose Food Allergies

We've had a long, confusing path concerning food allergies in our oldest daughter, who is now 5. From her first anaphylaxis after eating a small dollop of peanut butter at the age of one, until now, where we have a 504 health safety plan in place at her elementary school, the journey has been one of misdiagnosis, and then finally, clarity.

"According to a definitive report compiled for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases by a 25-member panel of experts, a big part of the problem is misdiagnosis, from overreliance on two tests — a skin-prick test and a blood test for antibodies — that can produce misleading results."

And that is certainly what we experienced. It didn't take much for us to know our daughter was deathly allergic to peanuts, after her full blow reaction discovered barely 20 minutes after her consuming a teaspoon of peanut butter at the tender age of one. But we didn't know what else she was allergic to, and we certainly didn't want to recreate that horrific experience to find out.